Atkinson, 69, is charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit arson and attempted second-degree arson in connection with an alleged attempt Feb. 12 to set fire to a house Atkinson owned at 1327 N. Park St.

Atkinson’s case now moves to circuit court where she is scheduled to have a pretrial hearing May 27 before Judge Alexander C. Lipsey.

Meanwhile, Elvis Patterson, who worked as Atkinson’s handyman, is scheduled to stand trial May 20 in circuit court on the same charges as Atkinson.

Atkinson and Patterson were arrested by Kalamazoo Public Safety investigators Feb. 13.

Atkinson is the first vice president of the Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch of the NAACP and a 2012 recipient of a YWCA Woman of Achievement Award.

Detective Bill Moorian testified in district court on Feb. 14 to obtain arrest warrants for Atkinson and Patterson and told Judge Richard A. Santoni that he and another detective conducted surveillance of a Feb. 12 meeting between Atkinson, Patterson and a tenant of the North Park Street house.

During the meeting, plans to burn the house down were discussed and Atkinson paid money to the tenant to vacate the house so the arson could occur, Moorian testified.

Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.